


Shake Things Up

by Gorgeous Nerd (gorgeousnerd)



Category: Mad Men
Genre: F/F, International Day of Femslash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-07-17
Updated: 2010-07-17
Packaged: 2017-10-10 15:11:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/101124
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gorgeousnerd/pseuds/Gorgeous%20Nerd
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Everything's new and different, Joan included.   Written for <a href="http://www.femslashday.com/">International Day of Femslash</a> 2010.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Shake Things Up

**Author's Note:**

> Also available on [Dreamwidth](http://firmament.dreamwidth.org/27779.html). Longer, story-centric notes [here](http://gorgeousnerd.dreamwidth.org/141043.html).

Clack, clack, clack.

Peggy's fingers flew across the keyboard. The typewriter noises hadn't stuck out in the old office, but in the new, it announced her presence like nothing else.

Don poked his head in the room as he adjusted his fedora on his head. "Peggy, I need Lucky Strike on my desk by Monday."

"It's almost finished," Peggy said without glancing up. "I can get it to you this afternoon."

"Perfect," he said, and disappeared. He was in and out constantly for meetings and lunches, since the office wasn't quite client-ready. But it was better than the hotel.

Almost immediately, Joan stepped in, beaming. Her husband lingered in the doorway. "Just a minute."

"Hello," Peggy asked. "Can I help you with something?"

"That's usually my line." Joan dropped a folder next to Peggy. "Pete said you needed this. Another lunch at your desk?"

As if Joan hadn't been eating in the office more than anyone. "That's right. Have a nice lunch."

Joan smiled. "Thank you. I'll see you in an hour."

She smoothed her dress and hair in a fluid movement, and Peggy didn't need a direct look to know Joan's husband took in the sight. She also didn't need a look to know when they left. Living in the secretarial pool before getting her own office meant she knew the exact moment someone stepped away.

Luckily, it only took Peggy about another hour - okay, two, after she checked the clock - to finish her Lucky Strike copy. She pulled it out the top of the typewriter and glanced over it for errors. When she was satisfied, she rose and walked with purpose toward Don's office. She didn't even feel hunger pains yet.

But a sniffle from the corner stopped her in her tracks. It was around the partition where their fridge was kept. Peggy hesitated, then stepped over.

"Hello?" she said, loudly enough to be heard but hopefully quiet enough not to surprise.

As the area became visible, so too did Joan, smoothing down her outfit once more. But her eyes were slightly puffy, and was she wiping tears off her face?

"Joan?"

"Peggy," she said, her voice thick. "Time for lunch?"

"Almost, I was just dropping…are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Thank you." And Joan wasn't, but she smiled as if she was.

Peggy took a couple steps, but she stopped before she moved out of sight. "Want to get a drink after work? We never did catch up. After you came back."

"I have to cook dinner for Greg," Joan said. Her voice caught a little at the end of the sentence. "But thank you."

"Okay. Let me know if you change your mind."

Peggy lingered a moment longer, but Joan gave her a stare that told her exactly what she thought of her hovering. She walked the rest of the way to Don's office deep in thought.

-

The rest of the afternoon passed without incident, or without as much incident as the days ever did lately. Peggy slipped on her coat - it was getting a little warm for it, but wearing was better than carrying - and made her way toward the elevator.

Joan was waiting in her own coat, and she smiled as Peggy stepped up.

"Still up for that drink?" she asked brightly.

"Uh," Peggy said. "What happened to dinner?"

"We can do dinner too. But drinks first; there's a little place around the corner I've been meaning to try."

It seemed counterintutive to Peggy to drink before she ate, but she was so surprised at Joan's turnaround that she said, "Okay."

The place literally was around the corner, and it was quieter than Peggy expected, especially for a Friday at six. The customary haze of smoke hung in the area, and several men in suits lingered around the edges. A couple perked up as Joan and Peggy walked in - Peggy had no illusions about who drew their gaze - but generally, everyone seemed settled in.

She wouldn't have pegged it for Joan's kind of place, which was why she was surprised when Joan said, "Perfect," and took a barstool of her own. Peggy slid up as well as they ordered their drinks.

"So what do you think of the new place?" Joan asked.

"The office?"

Joan nodded once.

"It's nice," Peggy said. "More modern than the old office."

"Isn't it good to shake things up? I think I enjoy working better now than I did before my break."

"That's good."

The bartender put their drinks on the bar. Peggy accepted hers and took a generous sip. Her job had taught her about hard spirits, and she knew the brandy was good.

Joan, on the other hand, didn't touch her drink. She stared at the rest of the bar quietly, but not as if she watched for anything in particular.

Peggy had to say something.

"So what's wrong?"

"Wrong?" Joan asked, her face snapping back into focus. "What do you mean?"

"I've never gone out with drinks with you before. Especially when you have other plans."

Joan waved a hand. "You were right. We haven't caught up."

Peggy took it as an invitation. "So how's married life? How's your husband?"

"Greg's fine. He's working, and very happy doing it."

Peggy couldn't ignore the way Joan's face froze as she spoke, and in return, Joan didn't miss Peggy's expression. She lost the tight smile and said, in a deeper voice than before, "Look. I came out because I didn't want to think about it."

"I'm sorry, I--"

"But if you must know," Joan began, and stopped. Peggy sucked in a breath and held it. Joan never said "if you must know"; it's what people who wanted attention said. But she wasn't saying it for attention here. It looked like it hurt to get it out. "I don't want to talk about this after, okay?"

"Of course," Peggy said.

"After lunch, Greg left for boot camp. I'm not going to see him again for months."

"Oh my God, I didn't--"

"Yes, I know," Joan said shortly. "You had no idea. No one does."

Peggy wanted to ask her a million questions. She hadn't been ignoring the news. Johnson had said Vietnam wasn't a top priority, but a doctor could be sent to a hot zone even if it was a lower priority. And if it became a higher priority…

She shook her head and lifted her glass. "Here's to another day at the office."

Joan raised an eyebrow, but she hefted her glass and clinked it against Peggy's. But while Peggy took another sip, Joan put the glass back on the table.

-

They didn't make it to dinner.

Peggy's head buzzed as they rode the elevator to her place, which was only three blocks further than the bar had been. She thought she could've made a meal, but Joan had watched her move and insisted she go home.

Why Joan came up with her, she didn't know.

She opened the door to her place without any difficulty, to her relief, and let Joan enter before her. Joan gave the apartment an appraising look as Peggy closed the door, and said, "Kitchen?"

"First door on the right."

Joan disappeared, and Peggy settled on her couch, kicking off her heels.

"Where's your roommate?"

"Visiting her sister. She just had a baby." She waved a hand Joan came back in with a glass of water. "I'm okay, really. I'll sleep it off."

"Drink it," Joan said, extending the glass.

She was a hard woman to ignore when sober, and Peggy didn't care to try vaguely tipsy. She took the glass and downed the water as Joan sat on the couch next to her.

"There. Happy?'

"Yes," Joan said, taking the glass from her and placing it on the side table. "I wanted you to have something before I asked you."

"Asked me what?"

"If it's okay to kiss you."

"Kiss me?"

Joan nodded silently.

"I guess?" Peggy said.

Joan leaned in, but stopped just in front of Peggy's face. Her eyes ran up and down Peggy's face, and Peggy felt a shiver pass through her body.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," Peggy said. She winced as her breath wafted up to her nose. She hoped Joan didn't hate it.

By the way Joan sighed as their lips touched, she didn't think she did. And wow, Joan could kiss. Not like she was surprised, but Peggy hadn't given it any thought before. Not beyond the basic _Wow, guys like her_.

She leaned in and grabbed Joan's shoulders. It was interesting holding a woman. Different. Or maybe it wasn't being with a woman, but a person who knew what she was doing. Peggy'd lacked it in her life lately.

Joan kissed up the side of Peggy's face, and tugged gently on her ear with her teeth. "I want to make love to you."

"Oh," Peggy said. Blood rushed in her face as Joan worked her tongue around her earlobe. "I haven't…with a woman before."

"Is it a no?" Joan's breath was hot on Peggy's skin.

"No. I mean, I want to."

Joan's hand slipped to Peggy's zipper, and drew it down in a silent hiss. Peggy, feeling useless and more than a little out of her depth, slipped her own hand to Joan's dress and did the same, with slightly less grace. She swayed as Joan pushed Peggy's dress down her shoulders, and gasped at the feel of Joan's light touch on the cups of her bra. Her nipples hardened so much it was painful.

"This feel okay?" Joan asked.

"Oh, yes."

Joan withdrew and stood. Peggy watched, wide-eyed, as Joan let her dress slip to the ground, and she reached around back to get the clasps of her own bra.

"Your breasts are amazing," Peggy said, and winced. It sounded ridiculous when she said it.

But Joan smiled, and let the bra drop. Her nipples were a light pink, and looked just as hard as Peggy's. "Thank you."

Peggy got to her feet. Joan was still in her heels, and Peggy in her bare feet was several inches shorter. But Joan slipped them off as Peggy pushed her own dress off, and clumsily shed her underwear.

"You're not bad yourself," Joan said, and pushed her panties down. She was completely naked and completely comfortable with the fact. "Which bedroom's yours?"

"Furthest door down the hall."

Joan turned and walked away slowly - her skin was so _pale_ \- and Peggy ran a hand over her hair. This was…new. But not unwelcome.

_No_, she realized, as a smile spread over her face. _This is definitely welcome._

She followed without a single waver in her step. Joan was sitting on the edge of her bed, gloriously nude, and pat the edge.

"I want to taste you," Joan said, looking up through her eyelashes bashfully. Peggy shivered at the confidence in her voice, and Peggy's skin broke out in goose pimples as if Joan was running her tongue over it.

"Oh," Peggy said again, but it was more of a sigh than an awkward statement. "Okay."

She sat next to Joan on the edge of the bed. Joan put a hand on her chest and pushed her over lightly, with a slight smile on her face. Peggy smiled too. It was infectous.

When she was lying on her back, Joan straddled Peggy's waist, her breasts hanging below her. Peggy couldn't resist; she put out a hand and cupped the weight of one. It was so heavy; she didn't know how Joan lived with two all the time. Peggy spread out her fingers and rubbed her hand in a fluid motion, and Joan moaned as she leaned in to kiss Peggy again.

Peggy moved her hands down Joan's back. Her skin was soft all over, and held the faint aroma of lavender. Peggy, for a moment, felt a twinge of self-consciousness. She smelled like alcohol, and the sweat of the day. But the thoughts were driven from her mind as Joan shifted down and took a nipple in her teeth. She cried out and arched into Joan's mouth, her hands moving up to Joan's hair.

Joan withdrew for a moment. She ran one hand down Peggy's stomach, and the nervousness returned as she felt her hand move over the stretch marks she'd gained from the baby. The other hand took pins from Joan's hair, which tumbled down around her face in a red cascade.

"You ready?" Joan asked. But before Peggy could answer, the hand Joan kept on her stomach slid over Peggy's pubic hair and between her legs. As a couple fingers tweaked sensitive flesh, Peggy's muscles tensed, and a wave of pleasure swept her. "Oh, I think you are."

Her head dipped down, and she took the sensitive part in her mouth and sucked. Peggy's eyes rolled in the back of her head, and she grabbed Joan's head, pressing her as she spread her legs.

"Joan," she gasped. "Oh, Joan."

As Joan continued, she slipped a finger inside Peggy. Peggy clenched around her, and she shivered as she approached climax. Another finger, and Peggy grabbed one of her sheets for dear life. Joan slipped her fingers in a clockwise circle and her tongue counterclockwise, and that was it. Peggy bit her lip and shuddered as the orgasm hit.

She was still breathing heavy when Joan rose again. Her face had a pleasant glow, with the combination of red in her cheeks and a sheen of sweat, and she licked her lips. "You taste delicious."

Peggy laughed with joy and sagged against the pillows.

-

The next morning dawned too early, and Joan was up before Peggy, showered and dressed as if she hadn't spent the night in a naked tangle with another woman.

"I had fun," Peggy said, half-asleep.

"Me too."

Peggy sat up and steeled herself for what she knew she had to say. "I won't say anything to anyone. We don't have to talk about this again."

Joan added one last spritz of hairspray to her hair. "You should come to my place tonight. I'll cook dinner, so you don't have to drink on an empty stomach again."

Peggy grinned, and Joan turned to her. "Are you okay with pot roast?"

"Sounds great," Peggy said.

"Good. I'll see you at seven."

She turned and left Peggy's room, the capable office manager of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce once more. Peggy hugged her pillow and watched her hips sway all the way out the door.


End file.
